Orijin

Thursday, 29 January 2015

Islamic State purportedly sets new deadline for hostage swap

An
audio message purportedly from a Japanese journalist being held by Islamic
State militants said a Jordanian air force pilot also captured by the group
would be killed unless an Iraqi female prisoner in Jordan was released by
sunset on Thursday.

The
message appeared to postpone a previous deadline set on Tuesday in which the
journalist, Kenji Goto, said he would be killed within 24 hours if the Iraqi
was not freed.

The
latest audio recording, which could not be verified by Reuters, was posted on
YouTube early on Thursday. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told
a news conference that chances were high it was Goto's voice in the recording.

"I
am Kenji Goto. This is a voice message I've been told to send to you. If Sajida
al-Rishawi is not ready for exchange for my life at the Turkish border by
Thursday sunset 29th of January Mosul (Iraq) time, the Jordanian pilot Muath
al-Kasaesbeh will be killed immediately," the voice in the recording says.

Jordan
said on Wednesday it had received no assurance that al-Kasaesbeh was safe and
that it would go ahead with a proposed prisoner swap only if he was freed.

The
audio tape message implied that the Jordanian pilot would not be part of the
exchange deal, indicating any swap would be between Goto - a veteran war
reporter - and al-Rishawi. Any swap that left out the pilot would not go down
well with the public in Jordan, where officials have insisted he is their
priority.

There
was no immediate comment from Jordanian government officials, but a security
official said the authorities were trying to verify the authenticity of the
recording and were coordinating with their Japanese counterparts.

On
Tuesday, a video was released purporting to show the Japanese national saying
he had 24 hours to live unless Jordan released al-Rishawi, an Iraqi woman on
death row for her role in a 2005 suicide bomb attack that killed 60 people in
the capital Amman.

Jordanian
government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said earlier that Jordan was ready to
release al-Rishawi if Kasaesbeh was spared, but made clear that she would be
held until the pilot was freed.

Kasaesbeh
was captured after his jet crashed in northeastern Syria in December during a bombing
mission against Islamic State, which has captured large tracts of Syria and
Iraq. He is from an important Jordanian tribe that forms the backbone of
support for the Hashemite monarchy.

TEST FOR ABE

The
hostage crisis is the biggest diplomatic test for Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe since he took office in 2012 pledging to bolster Japan's defense and
play a bigger role in global security.

The
Jordanian comments have raised concerns in Japan that Goto might no longer be
part of any deal between Amman and Islamic State. But CNN quoted Jordanian
Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh as saying that "of course" the Japanese
hostage's release would be part of any exchange.

Speaking
after a special cabinet ministers' meeting as well as in parliament on
Thursday, Abe said the government was making every effort to ensure Goto's
early release and repeated that Japan was seeking cooperation from Jordan.

He
reiterated that Japan would not give in to terrorism and that Tokyo would keep
cooperating with the international community. He added that Japan would make
every effort to protect its citizens at home and abroad from terrorism.

"If
we are too afraid of terrorism and give in to it, this will give rise to fresh
terrorism against Japanese and it will become a world in which the will to
carry out despicable violence has its own way," Abe told a lower house
budget committee. "Such a thing is totally impermissible."

The
hostage crisis erupted after Abe, while on a tour of the Middle East, announced
$200 million in non-military aid for countries contending with Islamic State,
but his government has rejected any suggestion it acted rashly and stressed the
assistance was humanitarian.

Abe
added that peace and stability of the Middle East were important for Japan's
energy strategy. Resource-poor Japan relies heavily on the Middle East for oil
imports.

Goto
went to Syria in late October. According to friends and business associates, he
was attempting to secure the release of Haruna Yukawa, his friend and fellow
Japanese citizen who was captured by Islamic State in August.

In
the first of three videos purportedly of Goto, released last week, a black-clad
masked figure with a knife said Goto and Yukawa would be killed within 72 hours
if Japan did not pay Islamic State $200 million.

A
video on Saturday appeared to show Goto with a picture of a decapitated Yukawa,
saying his captors' demands had switched to the release of al-Rishawi.

Tuesday's
video featured an audio track over a still picture that appeared to show Goto
holding a picture of a now bearded Kasaesbeh.